AFTER having
asthma all my life, I finally discovered something that helped me.
Buteyko is a Russian method that uses breath-holding and reduced
breathing techniques. I have no doubt that it works and have seen
improvement not only in myself but also in other asthmatics.
Doctors are sceptical because there is no firm
scientific evidence or studies of the Buteyko technique. But as
Professor Edzard Ernst of Exeter University says: "Breathing
techniques have a place in treating asthma symptoms. Buteyko may
be helpful, though probably not through the mechanism by which it
is supposed to work.
"I am not concerned that the physiology
of Buteyko is implausible. The history of medicine is full of implausible
things. The important thing is to find out whether something works.
The mechanism can fall into place later."
Professor Buteyko's "implausible theory"
is that asthmatics breathe too much, and he calls this chronic hyperventilation.
Acute hyperventilation is a widely accepted condition that occurs
in panic or anxiety attacks and can be treated by breathing into
a paper bag. This is because rapid breathing quickly depletes carbon
dioxide levels in the blood and breathing into a paper bag for a
minute restores the levels to normal.
Conventional medicine does not accept that chronic
hyperventilation exists, other than at altitude where the low levels
of oxygen cause people to breathe faster. Professor Buteyko believes
that if people breathe more air than they need over a long period
of time, they gradually deplete their carbon dioxide levels.
Carbon dioxide is more than just a waste gas
it is essential for the body to maintain the correct acid-alkali
balance. He believes that asthma is a body-defence mechanism designed
to stop further loss of carbon dioxide. His breathing techniques
are designed to restore these levels to normal.
But what is the evidence? Only one clinical
trial has looked at the Buteyko method. Results showed that asthmatics
in the trial did breathe more than non-asthmatics. Carbon dioxide
levels were also lower than normal in the tested asthmatics. However,
other results contradict these findings and show no difference.
In the Buteyko method, the severity of asthma
is measured by a timed breath-hold. Gradually my timed breath-hold
has increased and my symptoms have decreased. The main technique
I practise is breathing less, so I feel a slight lack of air. In
my experience, when practised for a length of time, this can reverse
the typical asthmatic early symptoms of a tight-chest and wheezing.
WHAT is happening in the lungs? During breath-holding
and breathing less, the levels of gases made by the body will increase
and oxygen levels will decrease. Recent discoveries show that carbon
dioxide is not the only gas in exhaled breath, there is nitric oxide
and organic gases such as pentane, ethane and propane. Nitric oxide
seems to be very important in regulating the respiratory system.
It may be that many elements are important in determining how long
you can comfortably hold a breath Ñnot only carbon dioxide.
Asthmatics have higher levels of nitric oxide
in their exhaled breath than normal people and this is believed
to correlate with the number of inflammatory cells in the lungs.
Treatment with inhaled steroids is associated with a significant
reduction in exhaled nitric oxide levels and the improvement in
asthma symptoms. Could Buteyko exercise have the similar effect?
The Buteyko method stresses breathing through
the nose at all times. Typically asthmatics breathe through their
mouth. The nose is an excellent filter so nose breathing is better
for asthmatics as it will cut down the amount of allergens and other
material going into the lungs. The nose also produces the highest
quantities of nitric oxide in the whole body, where it is thought
to kill bacteria and viruses.
Many factors such as genetics, allergies and
atmospheric pollution contribute to asthma. It could be that the
Buteyko technique, by altering body chemistry, nudges the body into
a positive spiral, instead of a vicious circle of hyperventilation.
Whatever the explanation, the effects are tremendous,
and I believe further investigations are needed.
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